Sunrisers Hyderabad closed out their IPL 2025 campaign in a blaze of sixes and style, hammering Kolkata Knight Riders by a thumping 110 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Despite a largely disappointing season following last year’s runners-up finish, Pat Cummins’ side reminded fans of their blistering potential with a record-threatening batting display in their final league outing.
Led by a sensational unbeaten century from Heinrich Klaasen, SRH posted 278 for three — the second-highest total of the season and third-best in IPL history. Klaasen’s 105* off just 39 balls lit up the evening, featuring nine sixes in a display of precision and power that left the KKR bowlers dazed and the crowd roaring.
The fireworks began early with the now-familiar opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. The pair rocketed to 79 in the PowerPlay, shrugging off a quiet first over by Vaibhav Arora. Head was the aggressor, slamming 76 off 40 balls and setting the tone with a six off Anrich Nortje that broke the shackles. Even Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, KKR’s trusted spin assets, failed to stem the run-flow.
Abhishek’s departure for 35 in the seventh over brought Klaasen to the crease, and what followed was sheer carnage. “It was like watching a man possessed,” one commentator remarked, as the South African’s 37-ball hundred became the joint-third-fastest in the tournament’s 18-season history.
In the over where Head reached his fifty, Klaasen launched Varun for his first six — a shot that was just a glimpse of what lay ahead. From that point, he dismantled the KKR attack, finding the boundary with almost uncanny ease. His clinical striking turned every error in length into an opportunity, and every bowler into a victim.
Chasing 279 was always going to be a mountainous task for KKR, and their innings fell apart rapidly. Reduced to 44 for five within the first eight overs, any hope of a fightback vanished. The SRH bowling unit shared the spoils, with Harsh Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat and Eshan Malinga each picking up three wickets to bowl out KKR for 168.
For a side that’s struggled with consistency this season, SRH’s final flourish was a reminder of their fearsome ceiling. As the league heads toward its playoffs, Klaasen’s masterclass may not alter the table — but it certainly ended Hyderabad’s season with a bang.
